The Emperor's Wrath
by supercat87
Summary: King Cold gives his son advice that literally turns everything around.
1. Fatherly Advice

Shortly after Frieza was revived as a mechanized cyborg, King Cold decided to catch up with him over dinner at one of the many planets he had forcefully colonized over the years. With at least a few hundred worlds that were seized and put under his name, he often had the luxury of having these types of needs catered to.

As the immense tyrant sat in the quarters of his spaceship, gazing out into the depths of space, Frieza came barging in. "Why the hell are we headed to that blasted clod of dirt?!" He lashed his metallic tail against the floor.

"Ha, because my son, we have much to discuss." Cold chuckled in a sophisticated manner, as he stood up from his large throne-like seat. "Besides, is that any way to greet your father?" The corners of his lips curved up, partially exposing his teeth. His eyes twinkled. It was as though he found his son's tantrum endearing.

Frieza crinkled his nose, causing deep lines to form on the still-organic side of his face. "I have no time for any of this rubbish father. There's a Super Saiyan I need to exterminate."

"I assure you, vengeance will be served." Cold buried his cheerful demeanor with a dark grimace. "And our opposition will be crushed."

About an hour later, a minion rushed into Cold's quarters. "Your highness, we're within minutes of landing."

Cold nodded his head in acknowledgement.

After the ship firmly anchored onto the rough terrain of its destination, both father and son stepped out and examined their surroundings like any royalty would upon setting foot on a place of commoners. They were surrounded by a rugged stretch of land with very few plants or trees. The housing situation seemed quite poor as the majority of the buildings appeared dilapidated and run-down. The locals, who inhabited the planet were anthropomorphic wolves geared in the same generic armor worn by thousands of others who were employed by King Cold's galactic forces.

"I see father still has that nasty habit of collecting dirt balls." Frieza chuckled to himself. "Why did you drag us here anyway?"

"Right this way son." Cold gestured his right hand towards a distant palace.

"Hmph, whatever." Frieza took flight alongside his father.

Cold shook his head at the landscape as he studied it from above. "I thought I specifically ordered these bumbling idiots to take better care of the damn place."

When the tyrannical duo finally touched down at the palace, the door opened, and out came a tall, lanky, gray anthropomorphic wolf.

"Greetings sire." The wolf humbly bowed down on one knee. "Everything has been prepared as you had requested."

"Excellent," Cold said. "Direct us to the banquet hall at once."

"Yes, sire." The dog led them through the palace opening, and into a long and seemingly endless corridor.

At the tail end of the passageway was a wooden gate-like door. The wolf proceeded to unlock it before holding it open for his superiors. "Here we are sire, our banquet hall."

Unlike the rest of the planet, the banquet hall was glamorously decorated. Additionally, the diverse assortment of gourmet food was clearly a work of art crafted by the hands of a true culinary master.

A smirk crept up Frieza's face; he looked rather exuberant in comparison to his previous demeanor. "Quite the feast you had these fools prepare here eh father?"

"Heh, I knew you would be pleased." Cold smiled at his son with the same adoring smile he gave him back on the ship. "Now, what say you tell me all about this Super Saiyan you were mumbling about earlier." He picked up a glass of wine and swirled the palatable red drink around in its glass.

Immediately after hearing his father's request, Frieza contracted his face and gnashed his teeth. Within seconds, a purple aura enclosed his body, and the table began to tremble while plates fell and shattered. "S-sayian Monkey."

His aura brightened and the shaking intensified. He, the emperor of evil, had to humbly beg for mercy after being subjected to the beating of his life. It was absolutely mind-boggling and infuriating at the same time.

What made the whole ordeal more insufferable was the fact that a Saiyan was the root of all these burdens. An inferior creature spawned from the same race that had for decades, secretly instilled fear into him.

"Damn it all!" He shot up from his chair. His purple glow amplified while a shimmering light consumed the room.

"Settle down Frieza!" Cold gave his son a stern face that any father would give his ill-behaved child. "This is no time for a childish tantrum!"

Frieza's bitter outburst continued for another second or two before the dazzling effects of his stunt vanished and the burning rage that engulfed his face fizzled out. "Very well father, I shall fill you in." He sat back down knowing full well that spoiling his relationship with his father had a track record of yielding an unfavorable outcome.

After taking a moment to indulge in some of the luscious delicacies laid out before him, he began talking. All the way from his hunt for the Dragon Balls leading him to that miserable Planet Namek, to his encounter with that detestable Super Saiyan; he told his father everything.

Cold furrowed his brow and locked his eyes straight ahead. "Any fool who dare commits such heinous crimes against our clan will be punished with immeasurable torment." He let out a soft grunt before taking a sip of wine. "So how do you plan on proceeding from here?"

"It's simple, we head to that pitiful dump Earth that he calls home and slaughter him in cold blood."

"I presume you plan on blowing up the planet?" Cold asked.

"No, I intend on showing up personally and torturing his filthy allies." Frieza angled his glass towards his face. "He'll be burdened with the misery of finding their corpses lying around right before he meets his own fate."

Cold narrowed his eyes. "Without a day of training, you expect a different outcome." He set his glass down and sighed. "Those shards of scrap metal haven't granted you the power necessitated to exact your revenge against a creature who gains power with each battle."

"I refuse to invest my blood sweat and tears into fighting an ape." Frieza downed the last bit of wine left in his glass. "Why the hell should I, Frieza, have to go above and beyond to do something as simple as taking out the trash?"

"I would hardly consider a month's worth of training a chore," Cold said sarcastically, watching one of the wolves refill his son's empty glass with a generous amount of wine. "Have you forgotten how quickly our kind can advance?"

Frieza rested his chin on his hand and shifted his eyes away from his father; obviously trying to avoid eye contact along with the discussion itself.

"Think about it. It's the most logical route."

Frieza began tapping his finger on the table, his chin still resting on his other hand. After remaining silent for another minute, he assumed an upright posture. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to proceed with caution." He stuck his chest out a tad bit and tilted his head back. "Being the prodigy that I am, surpassing an ape should be an effortless endeavor anyway."

"It's settled then." Cold glanced at the trio of wolves that were guarding the entrance. "This barren wasteland will be an ideal location for you to reach your milestones." He snickered. "So how about it son? Why not warm up by exterminating these pests?"

"Haha, oh father, you're too much." Frieza barely held in his menacing laughter. He began ambling around the table, eying the wolves at the entrance with a malevolent grin smeared on his face. "Shall we get started?"

Within seconds, the tyrant appeared in front of one of the helpless creatures, and speared his hand right through his heart.

Angered, one of the other wolves threw a punch in retaliation. Without even a subtle hint of concern, the tyrant dodged and countered by wrapping his metallic tail around the canine's neck. He formed a wicked grin as he slowly suffocated his victim to death.

When he saw another grunt running towards him, he decided it was time to show these fools just who they were dealing with. He turned his head and allowed his foe to land a direct hit on his face. Unsurprisingly, the punch inflicted zero damage, and the attacker was crippled with a broken hand.

"Now what say we even them out?" Frieza swiftly grabbed the wolf's other hand and crushed every bone with a simple grasp.

Overwhelmed by unbearable pain, the canine fell to his knees and howled.

Frieza put his hand out an inch away from the crippled henchmen's face. "Die." Without thinking twice, he blasted the wolf's head off. "Ha, quite satisfying indeed." He tossed the decapitated corpse on the floor like a child who was finished playing with a large stuffed toy.

"Now then, shall we head out for the grand finale?" Cold asked. "You're going to need an ample amount of space to get the most out of your training."

"Yes," Frieza said. With a quick blink of his eye, he created a devastating explosion that reduced the entire palace into a pile of rubble.

The two tyrants stood around in what was once the planet's finest building, and watched the inhabitants of the doomed world rushing at them from afar.

Frieza cackled as both he and his father took off into the air. "Now, let the glorious onslaught of chaos commence!" He viciously bolted into the crowd of warriors with his blinding speed. Without even batting an eye, he slaughtered his way through the planet's last line of defense, until the entire race was driven to extinction.

"Phenomenal performance my son. Now on to business…"


	2. The Emperor's Training Regime

Frieza mounted a purple orb on his shoulders that grew with each passing second. In just a few minutes, he expanded the ginormous sphere into the size of a large stadium.

Cold stood just meters away from his son, studying the orb with an unsmiling expression. "Channel your energy towards its potency."

Frieza's colossal ball of energy had grown to the point where it was beginning to crush him. His feet were sinking in to the terrain despite being desperately planted, while his dilated veins became exceedingly visible. It was only a matter of time before he was compressed to death by the overwhelming force of the ginormous sphere.

"Damn it all!" The tyrant flung the majestic source of energy upwards. He panted with exhaustion and fell to one knee. "Even a force of that caliber will fall short of doing that monkey in." He drove his fist into the ground.

Cold sauntered towards his son with a stiff look of disappointment. "Your Death Ball has mass but lacks potency. Large orbs like that will strain your body at the absence of raw power." He exhaled a deep breath of air while uttering a guttural sound. "They're ideal for leveling planets, but in the face of a mighty warrior, they're merely beach balls."

Frieza got back on his feet. His shoulders hunched forward, as his anger-ridden eyes evaded his father.

"Condense your power into a concentrated source." Cold chopped his left palm with his right hand and repeated the motion several times in the midst of his words. "An attack smaller in size but deadlier upon contact."

Frieza pursed his lips and faced the ground below him.

"Your impulsive desires are hindering your abilities." Cold shook his head and sighed. "A calm mind will grant you accessibility to your latent power."

"Hmph!" Frieza thrashed his tail against the dirt repetitively, his shoulder turned against his father.

"By learning to manipulate your energy, your body will adapt, and your power will multiply effortlessly." Cold crinkled his eyes. His dimples adorned a half-smile that appeared not just confident but encouraging as well. "This is truly a luxury that only our clan possesses."

"Very few can harness the power that I wield." Frieza made a fist and shook it in the air. "So it's quite expected for it to run its course and manifest itself as an untamed beast!"

Despite knowing full well that his father was right, he was in no mood for constructive criticism. "Now then, let's give this a whirl." He encapsulated himself in a purple aura, lifted both hands into the air, and began creating another Death Ball. After growing it to about the size of an elephant, he stopped short, and glanced upwards, as though he were checking its progress.

Cold eyed his son's creation. "Now keep it stabilized and channel your strength to the core. Feel it out and condense your power. Envision that ecstatic moment when you exact your revenge." His purple lips quirked up and flashed a mouthful of teeth as his brow dropped and creased. The unruffled face of a supportive father instantly twisted into that of a bloodthirsty killer.

Deeming his father's advice as words of value, Frieza attempted to release the tension from all areas of his body. He loosened his grip on the Death Ball by relaxing his arms a tad bit before unclenching his teeth and adopting a calm and controlled breathing pattern. "I see what you're saying father. This is beginning to remind me of the very first time I acquired the ability to devolve into those weaker bodies of mine."

"Similar concept." Cold nodded. "Only this time, you're enhancing your strength." He chuckled softly under his breath. "And we both know that such endeavors fall in line perfectly with your forte."

"Hitting new milestones is merely a secondary perk." Frieza narrowed his eyes and pinched his lips together. "Vengeance is the end all objective." A vindictive expression flickered on his face.

At this point, the tyrant had a firm grasp on what was necessitated to draw his power out to greater limits while circumventing the side effects that often accompanied elevated magnitudes of strength.

After a few more seconds of channeling his power into the orb's core, he threw it up into the air, and immediately sprung after it. With his right hand stretched out, he blitzed right through the massive ball of energy and sliced it in half. Without wasting even a second, he kicked each half, one after the other, causing them both to explode.

He subsequently descended to the ground and launched a sizzling ball of fire into the air and again took chase after it. This time he cupped both hands together and slammed the meteor-looking sphere back down towards the terrain.

Cold widened his eyes, taking in a sharp breath of air. "Frieza no! You'll destroy the damn place!"

"Always overreacting." Frieza rolled his eyes a second before vanishing and reappearing in the precise location the attack was headed. As it drew closer, he braced himself and cocked his fist back ready to strike. "Damn monkey!" He swung his fist at the flaming ball of energy, causing a massive explosion.

Despite the inferno-like explosion encompassing several hundred meters, the tyrannical duo remained unharmed.

Frieza admired the smoke that emanated from his stunt with a boastful look of gratification. "Expediting that ape's demise is an idea that I'm beginning to entertain."

"You're progressing remarkably yes," Cold said. "But let's not take any chances. After all the trouble you've gone through, why settle for less."

"Hmph, I suppose." Frieza shrugged his shoulders. "I guess an effortless victory would feel far more rewarding."


	3. The Epic Rematch

After completing his training, Frieza and his father headed to Earth.

Upon touching down on the planet, the tyrannical duo levitated out of the roof hatch of their ship and planted their feet on the rugged terrain. Moments later, several soldiers took their stance behind them.

"So this is the miserable ball of dirt that monkey calls home eh?" Frieza studied his surroundings before turning his attention to the group of soldiers standing behind him. "Move out men! Rid this trash heap of its filthy inhabitants!"

"Yes sir!" The soldiers flew up into the air. But within seconds, their corpses plummeted down from the sky.

Without even a second to speculate, Frieza and Cold were greeted by an unexpected stranger.

It was a young man, with purple hair parted down the middle, with a face that many would find aesthetically pleasing. He was sporting a purplish blue jacket with a Capsule Corp logo on his shoulder and black cargo pants. His most notable accessory was a sword case that was strapped to his right shoulder.

"And who the hell might you be?" Frieza asked.

"Someone that's here to kill you," the young man said.

"Oh?" Frieza exchanged looks of confusion with his father, as though they weren't sure what they had heard. "It's staggering how this planet's just infested with insects. Do you even know who you're standing up to?"

"Yeah you're Frieza. And I know all about your little vendetta against Goku."

"Ah, so you're a comrade of that Saiyan filth?" Frieza asked.

"Don't know him personally, but I know we share similar interests… Oh and I hate to break it to you, but your little rematch isn't going down."

Frieza brought a hand to his mouth and chuckled under his breath. "Ha, and next I presume you'll tell me the two of you are on par with one another?"

"Who knows? The only thing you should be worrying about is the fact that we're both Super Saiyans." The young man formed a smile that exhibited as much confidence as his bold threats.

Upon hearing the stranger's remark, Frieza burst into a bout of laughter. "Ha, even if what you claim is true, such old news no longer fazes me."

"Alright metal face, I think it's time we dropped the small talk and got right down to it." The young man brushed his hair aside and revealed a tranquil but unsmiling expression. He enclosed himself in a golden aura while his hair simultaneously spiked upward and began turning blond. With a mighty shout his aura grew brighter as a whirlwind blew around him. Seconds later, when the shimmering light settled down, he stepped forward as a Super Saiyan.

Frieza flinched, taking in a sharp breath of air. "Ah, so there was truth behind all that chatter after all."

The Super Saiyan stood silently, flaunting his golden aura.

"I thought for sure other than the three that I spared, the universe was free of your filthy kind." Frieza pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. "At least this gives me the opportunity to showcase my abilities before my real challenger arrives… so how about it, enlighten me."

"Just so you know I have no intention of letting you walk away from this alive." The young man took a slightly squatted position with his left foot in front of his right. He brought his left hand up towards his face as he simultaneously reached his right hand over his shoulder to grab his sword.

Without any hesitation, he pulled the metal blade out of its case, grabbed the handle with both hands, and began charging towards the tyrant.

"Hah." Frieza scoffed.

Once within range, the young man leaped into the air. "It's over Frieza!" He swung his sword at the tyrant's head. To his dismay, there was no effect, despite the blade making direct contact. "What?! This can't be!" He trembled for the first time since confronting the tyrant.

"Don't tell me that you're surprised." Frieza cackled for a moment before continuing. "You didn't actually think that such a puny blade would cut through the mighty emperor of evil now did you?"

Although traces of apprehension remained in the young man's eyes, his clenched teeth and firm grip around his sword indicated perseverance. He rushed back in and slashed rapidly at the tyrant from all angles. Unfortunately, his efforts fared no better than a wooden twig striking a boulder. The tyrant's durable composition eventually snapped the blade in half.

"N-no…" The young man eyed the jagged edges of his broken sword with fluttery eyes.

"Let me show you just a glimpse of what you're up against." Frieza put his right hand out towards the young man's chest and released an effortless kiai.

The impact of the attack sent the Super Saiyan skidding back on his right shoulder. When he finally managed to stop himself, he bolted up, dusted himself off, and began seeking answers. "Just who the hell are you? There's no way you're supposed to be this powerful."

"And this is the problem with the younger generation these days." Frieza snickered, wagging his finger. "They're always so hasty to formulate speculations." He squinted his eyes, shooting his opposition a bloodthirsty glare. "I'll give you another chance to get this right… After that, it's lights out monkey."

The young man got back into his fighting stance and bolted at the tyrant once more. This time he unleashed a fury of punches and kicks, with unrestrained force behind each attack.

Frieza casually blocked each blow with his index finger while occasionally weaving his head and maneuvering around the attacks.

Immediately after throwing his last punch, the young man used his other hand and fired a powerful wave of ki at Frieza's face from point-blank range. "Take this!" The attack resulted in a minor explosion that shrouded the entire battlefield in a thick layer of smoke.

The young man huffed and puffed, waiting for the smoke to clear.

When the dispersing smoke began exposing tyrant's half metallic reptilian physique, it became evident that he was completely unscathed.

"W-what…no! Damnit!" The young man quivered and trudged back a few steps.

"My my, we're not getting all worked up here now are we?" Frieza asked sarcastically. "Not that I don't find our time together amusing, but I think it's time we concluded this pitiful struggle for survival."

Without another word the tyrant vanished. He subsequently appeared inches away from the young man, and slammed his fist into his abdomen.

Completely crippled by the debilitating punch, the Super Saiyan groaned and fell to his knees; his golden hair reverted back to purple. Desperately fighting for breath while clutching his stomach, he fell forward face first.

"What a shame, it seems I've literally beaten the Super Saiyan out of you." Frieza utilized his foot to smear his opponent's face into the dirt. "No matter, I'll humanely spare you the burdens of living with the humility." With a lift of his hand came purple wave of energy that promptly wiped the young man out of existence. "Now that didn't take too long now did it father?"

"Of course not, but don't get carried away," Cold said. "We still have that other monkey to exterminate."

"Ha, still hours left until his arrival, what to do until then?" Frieza asked in a sadistic yet playful tone.

Before anyone could answer that question, the tyrant saw through his peripheral vision a familiar face staring straight at him. It was Goku, and he had teleported to the battlefield after sensing an immense power reading disappear.

"So you've come." Frieza stiffened his posture, his side turned to Goku. "A bit earlier than I expected, but this will do just fine Saiyan."

Although Goku wasn't acquainted with the specifics, he was well aware of the fact that Frieza had just taken the life of another warrior moments before. Despite wanting answers, he knew full well that this was no time for questions.

The heroic Saiyan furrowed his brow and locked his eyes on Frieza."Your days of relentlessly murdering the lives of innocence end here." A twisted blend of remorse and vexation flickered on his face. "Had I known that things would spiral in this direction, I would have finished you back on Namek!"

Frieza whipped around to face his adversary. "Ha and thus proves my point that mercy is a foolish trait harbored by the weak." He mirrored Goku's scowl with a menacing gaze of his own. "But since it was your kindness that granted me the luxury of having the last laugh, I mustn't complain."

"We'll see about that Frieza!" Goku dropped his fists to his waist and squatted down a few inches with his legs a bit further than shoulder width apart.

"Indeed." Frieza said. "But I want you to see just how outclassed you are before I have the pleasure of driving my hand through your heart."

Goku grunted and shifted his feet around, his eyes following even the slightest of movements made by the deceitful tyrant.

"Now learn what happens when a feeble creature like you steps up to my authority!" Frieza surrounded himself in his signature purple aura; small jolts of purple lightning circulated around him.

Goku dropped his jaw, his eyes blinking as though he was trying to make out what he was seeing. "Whoa, this way worse than I thought." He shielded himself from the current of air emanating from the tyrant and winced. "Hell, I don't even know if I could stand up to a force like that."

After concluding his display of power, Frieza crossed his arms and cocked his head back. "What do you think monkey? Still feeling up for the challenge?"

"You may have gotten a lot stronger, but that still won't prevent me from trying to stop you!" Goku ignited his golden aura and transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"So this is the appearance you assumed when you hurt my son." Cold crinkled his nose and glared at the golden warrior. "Well, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy watching him torture the life out of you."

Goku ignored the immense tyrant, and instead, shifted his focus to Frieza. "Don't expect me to hold back even one bit, because trust me Frieza, you won't get that luxury a second time!"

Frieza lifted his hands out to his sides and shrugged his shoulders. "Ah Goku, surely you must be in denial at this point yes?"

"I don't know. Am I?" Goku kept a stern face and a rigid stance, his golden aura sparkling around his body. "I guess we'll just have to see."

"Well then, come on." Frieza curled his index finger at the Saiyan, gesturing him to proceed. "Let's see some of that awe-inspiring Super Saiyan power."

Goku kicked off from where he was standing and rushed towards Frieza. Without an ounce of restraint, he threw his first punch but promptly missed his target. The tyrant vanished and reappeared right behind him.

"Not so fast!" Goku swung his body around and slammed both hands cupped together towards Frieza's head. But, much akin to his first attempt, he ended up hitting nothing but thin air. "Damn, I couldn't follow any of that!" His eyes darted left and right in search of his foe.

"Ha, I'm sorry, were you looking for me?!" Frieza stood at the tip of a nearby cliff, his arms stretched out and palms facing up.

"W-what?!" Goku whipped his head towards face the cliff.

"Aw, don't tell me you've lost hope already."

"N-not a chance Frieza!"

"Save yourself the trouble and humble down on your knees child." Cold ambled towards Goku and flashed a sinister grin. "It won't be long until my son rips the flesh off your bones."

Goku glowered at Cold. "I guess you don't know me well enough then. Calling it quits in the face of wrongdoers has never been an option for me!" He shot his attention back to the cliff Frieza was on. "I have no choice, I have to go for broke! Ka-me-ha-me-ha!" A majestic wave of blue energy came flowing from his hands.

"Hmph." Frieza smirked and let the blast hit him head-on.

Seconds later, the tyrant appeared a few feet in front of Goku, glaring at him from inside the Kamehameha.

Goku's mouth gaped open and his pupils dilated. Before he could even react, Frieza jolted out of the blast and uppercutted him in the chin. The attack was then followed up with a barrage of savagely executed jabs and punches.

"Trust me monkey, I'm not even close to full power yet!" Frieza shouted in between attacks. "I'm going to refrain from delivering the final blow until I've sufficiently tortured you!" After a few more punches, he fired a ki blast from point-blank range.

The incinerating effect of the attack burned the top portion of Goku's garments off and sent him flying back. Showing signs of severe weariness, he lay where he was as Frieza sauntered towards him.

"Now Saiyan filth, the moment I've been waiting for." Frieza drove his foot into Goku's neck and smiled a sadistic smile as his powerless foe croaked and struggled to free himself. "After I'm done with you, it won't be long until I kill your son in cold blood." He reached down and picked the Saiyan up by his neck. "Let's see, shall I incinerate you or impale you?" He sneered, eyeing his nearly unconscious foe and tightening the grip around his neck.

After a moment of indecisiveness, Frieza put his free hand on Goku's chest and skewered it all the way through.

In response to the sinister brutality, the mighty hero wailed in pain; blood gushed from the hole in his chest and began dribbling down the tyrant's arm.

With a malevolent spark in his eyes, Freiza cackled hysterically, as his defenseless foe continued shrieking. It wasn't long until the Super Saiyan's golden hair reverted back to its original color of black.

"Ah and that's two Super Saiyans down for the count." Frieza slowly pulled his hand out of the blood-gushing wound. The corners of his lips quirked up and his eyes crinkled. "I promised that I would make you pay tenfold didn't I?" He released his other hand around Goku's neck and used it to lift him up telekinetically.

With faint traces of life still pulsating through his body, the proud Saiyan kicked and squirmed in hopes of freeing himself from the tyrant's psychic grasp. But with a gaping hole in his chest spurting with blood, there was little he could do.

"Ah, you really are quite the determined one Goku." Frieza snickered before furrowing his brow. "But let's not start getting our hopes up." He pointed at the Saiyan with his free hand and fired a Death Beam.

The beam pelted Goku across the face, causing him to squeal.

"Hah, now that was quite amusing. What say we multiply the effect?" Frieza chuckled, using one hand to unleash a barrage of Death Beams, while utilizing the other to telekinetically keep his foe floating in midair several feet in front of him. "Experiencing this up close and personal is exponentially more satisfying than I had fantasized!" He continued firing away relentlessly.

Goku dangled his legs in the air and whimpered as each blast seared the top layer of his skin.

Frieza ceased firing for a moment and eyed his target, like an artist marveling at their masterpiece. He launched one more death beam that pelted the seemingly deceased hero on the chest. When not a cry or whimper was uttered, a grin crept up on his face. He released his telekinetic grip and let his adversary's critically wounded body drop down. "I think I'll leave what's left of your carcass rotting here."

"No my son, don't take any foolish chances," Cold said. "You've put the miserable fool through enough suffering. Now do the practical thing and disintegrate his body! Make sure this filthy piece of garbage never gets another chance at life again!"

"Ah how typical of you father, always double checking my work." Frieza rolled his eyes back. "But you do have a point, one can never be too sure around Saiyans." He stuck his hand out and incinerated what was left of the once mighty Super Saiyan with a massive blast.


	4. Plan of Action

Unbeknownst to Frieza, Goku's friends were aware of the tragic string of events that had taken place. As a matter of fact, they were sensing the entire fight from a cliff not too far from where the actual battle had taken place. Fortunately, due to the tyrant's inability to sense ki, the heroes were kept out of harm's way.

"What?! Damn, no!" Piccolo fidgeted, sweating profusely. "He's…"

"Piccolo, my dad's energy…" Gohan looked up at his mentor with grief-stricken eyes. "Is he-" A trickle of tears followed his shaky voice. "D-da" –he was unable to vocalize his sorrow; his words sounded as though they were caught in his throat. His eyes attempted to liberate his soul from the torment by flooding his cheeks with tears.

Piccolo turned his shoulder to Gohan's weeping, and winced. "Frieza that bastard."

Krillin shut his eyes, breathing rapidly through gritted teeth. "Goku!" He collapsed on his hands and knees as a waterfall of tears began streaming down his face.

Bulma cupped her face in her hands. Her muffled whimpering accompanied the tears that leaked through the cracks between her hands and face. Yamcha's eyes darted over to Tien, and the two exchanged an expression that held a blend of sorrow and fear.

Vegeta gnashed his teeth. "Damn!" He quivered with clenched fists, veins bulging from his neck. "If Frieza was able to just nonchalantly kill Kakarot, what'll keep him from slaughtering us?!"

"Let's not forget about that boy he effortlessly killed prior to Goku's arrival." Piccolo took in a deep breath of air, appearing calmer than he was moments before. "Our only chance is to hide out and buy some time." He focused his eyes on Vegeta. "How long do you think it'll be until their devices pick up on us?"

"When that other Super Saiyan displayed his power, he likely shattered what was left of those damn scouters," Vegeta said. "There's no way in hell those worthless contraptions stayed in one piece around a reading that large."

"Either way, we have to act fast." Piccolo placed his hand on Gohan's shoulder. "I know this must be hard on ya, but you need to stay with me."

Gohan sniffled without a word, tears still shedding in abundance.

Piccolo grunted and shot Gohan a spine-chilling stare. "This is no time for that! Frieza could already be planning to blow up the Earth! Look, I won't even delve into how unfortunate Goku's death was. But it won't be in vain. I have a plan." He whipped his head up towards the sky. "King Kai! Can you hear me?!"

"Yes Piccolo," King Kai said.

The others bounced their eyes back and forth amongst themselves, as though they were wondering what their Namekian ally was planning.

"I don't think I need to fill you in on what's been happening down here," Piccolo said, knowing full well that the overseer had already leveraged his telepathic abilities to keep himself informed.

"Indeed," King Kai said low-spiritedly. "Goku's been killed, and Frieza's on the verge of conquering your planet. Poor Goku, I knew provoking Frieza would boil down to this."

Piccolo shook his fist in the air. "Instead of patronizing us, why not make yourself useful and cough up the precise coordinates of the new planet Namek!"

"Sheesh, still as rude as ever! Well what do you seek to accomplish by venturing out there anyway?"

"We're going to wish Goku back!" Piccolo said.

Upon hearing the Namekian's plan, Gohan and Krillin's gloomy faces simultaneously lit up with radiant smiles like storm clouds suddenly making way for the sun.

"A noble thought," King Kai said, "but I must forbid you from proceeding."

Piccolo recoiled at the overseer's remark. "What?!"

"Goku will be crossing over to this side soon, and when he does, I'll be putting him through special training… wishing him back now will be wasted effort. He'll only get himself killed again."

"I admire the innovation, but it's best that we head to Namek and cram in some training until Goku's ready. If we stay here, Frieza will find us without a doubt."

"But with your absence, it won't be long until Frieza and his men seize the Earth," King Kai said.

Piccolo slouched and hung his head. "Whether we're here or not, that's bound to happen." He squeezed his guilt-ridden eyes shut, making the fine lines on his green face more conspicuous. "Besides, once Frieza's dead, we could reverse all the damage with the Dragon Balls."

"Well since you're so adamant about it, "King Kai said, "I guess the least I could do is point you in the right direction." There was a brief moment of silence as the overseer began searching the galaxies for Planet Namek's new location. "Ah, I think I found them, they're on coordinates Su-83 7025-Zy."

Piccolo glanced at Bulma. "You get that?"

"I did," Bulma said. "So all the way back to Namek huh?"

"Afraid so." Piccolo furrowed his brow before turning to face the group. "Now, I need you to prepare a spaceship. I'll come find you once everything is ready." He craned his neck out towards the sky. "How long do you intend on keeping Goku there?"

"To be candid, I don't know." King Kai's unenthusiastic tone indicated that he too was agonized by the suspense. "We'll be in touch as soon as he arrives." He sighed a sigh that often follows a time of despair. "I'm putting my trust in you Piccolo. You've already dug yourselves in a hole, so no sense in turning back."

"So, how about it Bulma?" Piccolo asked. "Think you could plot a course for Namek?"

Bulma put her hands down to her waist and glowered at Vegeta. "Well, the only spaceship we had is in bad shape thanks to that jerk!"

"Well then, quit your yammering, and get on with the repairs," Piccolo said in a slightly irritated voice.

"Hey, don't mind me but, where exactly are you going Piccolo?" Krillin raised an eyebrow and scratched his shiny bald head.

Piccolo jerked his head away from the group, layers of apprehension masking his face. "That's none of your damn business! Just do as you're told, and go hide out!" He bolted off into the air without another word.

Gohan gasped. "Piccolo?" His mouth gaped open and his muscles tensed as his eyes darted over to his mentor.

The Namekian stopped short, and glanced at his student from above. "I'll be fine Gohan. Now go and find yourself a safe location. I'll see you soon, I promise." He accelerated into a tuft of clouds and eventually flew out of sight.

"Like hell you're going to leave me in the dust and train on your own Namekian!" Vegeta launched into the air like a rocket before flying off at full speed.

"I never know what to make of those two," Tien said.

"Well there goes our last line of defense." Krillin sighed, watching a clump of clouds conceal the Saiyan prince. He turned his attention to the remaining members of the group. "Hey, someone should really get Master Roshi up to speed. Gohan and I could head on over to the Kame house. Yamcha, think you and Tien could take Bulma back to Capsule Corp? We need to start working on that spaceship pronto."

"You got it," Tien said, while Yamcha nodded his head in acknowledgement with Bulma already in his arms.

"Great, we'll head on over to ya soon!" Krillin pumped his fist into the air. His exhilaration fizzled out like a match in the wind when his eyes shifted over to Gohan. "Hey, what's gotten you all eaten up? You heard the plan. We're wishing your dad back."

"I don't know." Gohan hunched his shoulders, his eyes glued to the ground below him. "I just don't understand why Piccolo would leave on his own like that."

"Look, we can talk about that on our way to Master Roshi's." Krillin said. "But for now we have to move!" With that, the heroic duo took flight and headed for the Turtle Hermit's island.

* * *

Cold surveyed the terrain from his quarters. "This planet will be a great addition to our empire. I'm sure the Earthlings will show little resistance."

"Quite ironic my adversary's home world is about to become my new headquarters." Frieza snickered.

"First things first." Cold placed one hand behind his back and stroked his chin with the other. "We have to call for reinforcements. Stepping on a bunch of ants isn't a task for beings of our status." He ambled over to a control panel and activated a communication link. "Commander Sorbet, bring your troops and head for Planet Earth immediately, I have an important assignment for you!"

"Yes sire, we'll be there at once," a voice responded from one of the speakers.

Indeed, Planet Earth was in grave danger, for Commander Sorbet, the staff officer of the third stellar region was on his way with his entire army of elites.


	5. A Challenger Emerges

With a thousand-man army soon to be at their disposal, Cold and Frieza had their eyes set on eradicating Gohan while claiming Earth as their own.

The colossal tyrant sauntered around his quarters before pausing momentarily to gaze out the window. "Even with our troops combing through this planet, locating that Saiyan spawn won't be a walk in the park." He furrowed his brow and uttered the same guttural sound he usually makes when he's in a state of annoyance. "The last thing we need is another Super Saiyan running loose."

Frieza crinkled his nose. "Hmph, well after we decimate that juvenile monkey, we shall commence with the colonization of this dirt ball. Enslaving humanity sounds like a delightful endeavor indeed." He craned his neck and glared at his tail with a subtle hint of residual bitterness glistering in his eyes. "I've seen their potential. One of them even managed to cut my old tail off. With a bit of discipline, they'll make fine subordinates." He shook his head in a mocking fashion, chuckling softly under his breath. "Ah Goku, that dejected look on your face when you see the ones you fought so hard for serving me would have been priceless."

* * *

Up on the lookout, Kami and Piccolo were engaged in a discussion pertaining to a rather sensitive matter, their reunification. In fact, it was this very topic that had Piccolo on edge when Krillin had inquired about his destination. Just the thought of having to share a body with his other half was something that the former villain had dreaded his entire existence. But the way things unraveled, he knew he wasn't in the position to be bickering.

Luckily for him, the feelings were to some extent mutual, for Kami was also caught in a seemingly undesirable predicament. While the old guardian knew that merging with his counterpart was bound to come to fruition, it was always one of those things that he preferred not speaking up about.

After spending close to an hour exchanging grimaces and tossing each other a whole slew of stirring remarks, they finally came to the conclusion that reuniting would be their best bet against the unfathomable force they were up against. It was really the only viable option that had both ends covered. On one end, the tyrant would be denied the opportunity to utilize the Dragon Balls, while on the other, a mighty warrior would emerge. On top of all that, because Kami was able to sense the presence of Cold's mercenaries heading to Earth, he knew utilizing every last resource to its full potential was a necessity.

Just as they were wrapping up their emotive debate, Mr. Popo scuttled over to the determined duo. "Kami!" The devoted assistant reached his hand out towards the guardian and eyed him with watery eyes. "A-are you sure this is the right path?"

"Up here as a guardian I serve no purpose against a vile menace like Frieza." A stern look crept up on Kami's face, as he released a deep breath of air. "But as a part of Piccolo my powers will not only play a vital role in protecting the Earth, but the universe as well."

After having served the guardian for centuries, parting ways was a heart-wrenching experience for Popo. A cascade of tears streamed down his face. "K-kami." His quivering lips produced a shaky but nearly inaudible whimper.

Though a hint of dolor twinkled in the old guardian's eyes, he disregarded his attendant's weeping and instead fixed his gaze on his counterpart. "It will be in your body where I will live on, so place your hand on my chest."

As Piccolo complied with the request, Kami craned his neck to give one last grateful look to the man who had for centuries provided him munificent hospitality. "Thank you Mr. Popo. I will always cherish the kindness you have shown this old guardian." The wrinkly corners of his mouth curved up, deepening his crow's feet.

Popo softened his cry. Though a fountain of tears flooded down his face, his muffled snivels were a clear indicator that he was striving to suppress his emotions for the sake of sending his superior off free of burdens.

Without another word, Kami stiffened his expression and whipped his attention back to Piccolo. He widened his eyes, and screamed at the top of his lungs. In a flash, the two beings were reunited, and a mighty warrior was born.

* * *

Meanwhile at Master Roshi's house, Krillin and Gohan had informed the old master on the atrocious string of events that had taken place. The trio sat around the living room in silence wearing grim faces until a familiar voice greeted them. "Gohan! Can you hear me?"

Gohan bolted up, his eyes scanning every nook and cranny of the living room. "Piccolo?"

"I'm talking to you telepathically. There's no time to explain, I need you to meet me at the lookout immediately."

"Right!" Gohan glanced over at Krillin and bit his lip. "Hey Krillin? Someone needs to tell my mom and grandpa the news, can I... leave that up to you?"

"Yeah, I guess." Krillin rolled his eyes back and sighed in a way that people often do when tasked with an undesirable chore.

"I owe ya one Krillin. Well, I'm off." The young warrior sprinted out of Roshi's house, and ascended into the air.

* * *

After filling Gohan in on what had happened, Piccolo asked Popo to escort them to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

Gohan looked more exhilarated than he had in quite some time. "On the way to Master Roshi's, Krillin told me that if you and Kami reunited, you'd become even stronger than a Super Saiyan." He glanced up at his mentor in the midst of walking. "Well I think he was right."

Piccolo opted out of replying, and instead continued sauntering behind Popo.

Popo gestured his hand towards a wooden door. "Here it is, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber." He twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

Piccolo eyed the glimmer of white light that glistened through the half-open entrance of the mystical chamber. He took in a deep breath of air before stepping forward and fading into the shimmering brilliance of the room. Gohan gulped and proceeded to follow his mentor.

As the door shut behind them, both teacher and student surveyed their surroundings. They were in a rather homey environment that was divided into two sections; one area was clearly meant for dining while the other appeared to be a resting area with two beds.

"The gravity, it feels so different." Gohan turned his head from the bedroom and peered into the dining area. He scampered out of the lodging area but stopped short with his mouth gaped open when he stepped foot onto a seemingly blank and borderless opening. The house-like setting was merely an island that remained anchored on a limitless sheet of white flooring.

"Stay focused, we only have two years to do this," Piccolo said. "You ready?"

Gohan shook off the sense of bewilderment that the chamber had elicited and smiled the radiant smile that often sparkles on his face when he feels exceptionally determined. "Sure am! Just like old times!"

* * *

Over at Goku's house, the responsibility of getting Chi-Chi on the same page as the rest of the group turned out to be quite an exasperating journey for Krillin. It took him nearly an entire day to convince her to drop her overbearing tendencies and focus on the crisis at hand.

When all the squabbling was finally put to rest, Krillin escorted Roshi, Chi-Chi, and Ox King to Capsule Corp in a plane that Chi Chi had obtained from Bulma for the purpose of tracking Gohan when the boy wanders away from his studies.

By the time of their arrival, night had fallen and everyone had gone to bed. Bulma and her father however, continued working into the night.

For the first half of the following day, the group hung around outdoors in the picnic area, overwhelmed by suspense.

After spending the vast majority of the day cooped up in his room, Vegeta finally ventured outdoors. When his presence caught the group's attention, he scrunched his face. "The minute we take off for Namek, all you scumbags are to stay put in the cabin so I can train in the gravity room, understood?!"

"Yeah, whatever." Krillin waved his hand in a dismissive fashion before turning his back to the demanding prince. "Huh?" He suddenly recoiled back a step, his face blue and his hands shaking. "G-guys, do you sense that?"

Tien bolted up from his seat, all three of his pupils dilated like three round blots of ink spreading on white paper. "What power…"

"Yeah," Yamcha said. "And so many of them."

Vegeta shot the trio a sideways glance. "Keep your damn power down at all times! Frieza's obviously called for reinforcements. The last thing we need is for their scouters to detect us."

* * *

Deep in space, a spaceship nearly identical to Cold's was orbiting around Planet Earth. Aboard the ship were Commander Sorbet and an army of ruthless mercenaries. As the ship drew closer to its destination, Sorbet peered out his window and gazed at the blue planet.

"Commander Sorbet," a voice bellowed from the pint-sized villain's scouter. "We should be landing within thirty minutes."

"Excellent." Sorbet rubbed his hands together. "Heh Heh Heh."

The large fortress-like ship descended from the sky and anchored onto a rugged stretch of land a couple hundred meters from Cold's ship.

After the landing process was finalized, Sorbet scurried over to the neighboring ship and headed straight for the tyrant's quarters, where his superiors awaited him. "King Cold, Lord Frieza." He bowed his head.

"Good to see you commander." Cold welcomed his minion with a quick nod.

"Likewise, your excellency." Sorbet fiddled with his hands before shifting his attention to Frieza. "Congratulations Lord Frieza, thanks to our recently developed spy bots, we were able to witness your victory against those pesky Super Saiyans."

"Oh?" Cold raised his brow, his mouth slightly agape. "So the third stellar region has actually succeeded in developing those nifty gadgets? Last I checked they were merely a work in progress."

Sorbet nodded with enthusiasm. "Why yes."

"Well that's a damn good thing," Cold said, "because this planet's currently harboring that Saiyan spawn. I'm sure you're well informed on the matter."

Sorbet clasped his hands together; the outer corners of his eyes twitching like a flickering bulb on the verge of going out. "Well you see…" Drops of sweat began dripping down his blue complexion. "Once we learned of Lord Frieza's victory, we uh well, stopped monitoring the whole ordeal."

"Quite foolish." Cold shook his head in the midst of speaking through gritted teeth. "It appears we must resort to more strenuous tactics after all."

Sorbet gulped and swayed back.

"Gather the troops!" Cold leaned over and pointed his finger at the trembling commander. "You are to order them to tear through the cities until they draw that monkey out of his hole. And make sure you scan the planet and keep an eye out for any ships heading out into space." He stroked his chin with his thumb and index finger. "Hmm, these fools seem fairly advanced in interstellar travel. I suspect they may leverage that ability to take refuge elsewhere."

"Yes, of course!" Sorbet stiffened his body and bowed. "And we could also resend our spy bots to double our efforts." He reached for his scouter and pressed down on a button located on the earpiece until it beeped. "Tagoma, prepare all troops for battle immediately!"

* * *

After assembling their army, King Cold, Frieza, and Sorbet stood at the edge of a mountain just a few miles south of North City. Hovering above them was a thousand-man army, poised for attack.

"Hah, what miserable fools." Frieza scoffed, eying the city with a bloodthirsty grin. "Feel free to demolish the entire place. There'll still be plenty of humans left to enslave elsewhere."

"Alright men! Full-scale attack!" Sorbet signaled his arm towards the city.

Without missing a beat, the soldiers rushed in and began terrorizing the unsuspecting civilians.

* * *

Deep in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Piccolo and Gohan were locked in a sparring match. After training for nearly two years, both warriors had multiplied their strength several-fold. During that time, the young warrior had even managed to grow a few inches vertically.

Gohan charged at Piccolo and unleashed a barrage of punches.

The Namekian weaved around each strike with precision, but blocked the final punch that came at the tail end of the combo. "Good." He put his guard down and assumed a lax posture. "I'd say that about does it."

Gohan nodded, as he too freed his muscles of stress and transitioned to state of relaxation.

"We should head back down and see how they're doing on that ship." Piccolo began ambling towards the chamber's exit. "Don't forget, we still need to buy time until your dad's revival."

Immediately after vacating the chamber, the Namekian stopped short and shuddered. "D-damn, they're here already? I thought for sure we'd have more time!"

Gohan tensed up, shifting his apprehensive gaze to the only man other than his father that he could count on during a calamity. "W-what do we do?"

"Head on over to Capsule Corp, and proceed as planned."

"What about you?"

Piccolo remained silent.

"Piccolo?!"

"With their new scouters, it'll only be a matter of time until they find us and ruin our plans. Someone needs to hold them back. Besides, if I could at least crush their men and injure Frieza in the process, our chances will be that much better."

Gohan hurled himself in front of his beloved mentor and waved his arms in the midst of shouting. "I'm not letting you go alone!"

"That won't be an option." Piccolo chopped his student on the side of the neck, rendering him unconscious. "Sorry kid, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you down there." He tucked the boy under his arms and flew down from the lookout. As he glided through the forest, he began speaking telepathically to Krillin. "I'll be at Capsule Corp shortly, so meet me outside the building." Upon reaching his destination, he materialized himself a new set of weighted garments.

Krillin was lounging around outside, expecting his arrival.

Piccolo carefully handed his unconscious student to the bald little man. "I'm counting on you."

"Look, I know you've enhanced your power exponentially." Krillin placed Gohan over his shoulder. "But do you think it'll suffice?"

"We'll see." Piccolo said. "You wouldn't happen to have a Senzu Bean by any chance would you?"

"Actually, I do." Krillin reached his free hand into a small brown pouch that was attached to the belt that wrapped around his waist. "Per Korin, Yajirobe stopped by earlier and dropped off a handful." He pulled out a bean and tossed it at the Namekian.

"Thanks." Piccolo caught the kidney-shaped miracle cure and devoured it in an instant. "I prefer to face this bastard with nothing short of full strength." He enclosed himself in a pearl white aura and went off to confront the diabolical tyrant.

* * *

Cold, Frieza, and Sorbet grinned at the sight of their lackeys massacring the defenseless civilians of North City. But their contentment was short lived. A shower of ki blasts suddenly rained down from above and incinerated the vast majority of their troops like a breathtaking meteor shower inundating hundreds of unsuspecting individuals out of nowhere.

Frieza twisted his face into a grimace. "What the hell was that?!" He glanced up at the sky, turning his head left and right.

"Your fight is with me now," a voice called out.

The trio of villains froze momentarily, as though their confidence was actually tainted with a drop of fear.

"A Namekian?" Cold raised a brow, opening one eye wider than the other.

Indeed, it was Piccolo who had taken the pleasure of obliterating the men moments before making his entrance.

"Ah, I remember you." Frieza took a step forward with a stiff expression. "You gave my second form quite a workout back on your filthy home world. What brings you out here anyway? Have you decided to do the smart thing and surrender that Saiyan child?"

Piccolo substituted his words with a condescending scoff.

Frieza narrowed his eyes and cocked his head back. "I'm surprised you would subject yourself to this. I thought you Earth-trained fighters are capable of sensing power without the usage of devices."

"Oh, I sense you alright, and to be blunt, it's nothing I can't tangle with."

"During our previous encounter, you may have managed to slip away." Frieza made a fist and held it out in front of his face. "But I'll make sure I kill you this time." He vanished into thin air.

Piccolo took his fighting stance and braced himself.

A second later, Frieza reappeared with his fist cocked back. But before he had the chance to strike, he was backhanded aside like a common housefly. The attack not only threw him off the cliff, but it sufficed in keeping him down for an extended period of time.

Cold glared down at the city below him, while Sorbet took cover behind a boulder.

"Relax, that was just a warm up." Piccolo locked his eyes on Cold. "I'll have plenty of juice left for you."

"Now now." Cold crinkled his eyes, patting the air with his palms facing down. "Let's not get carried away here."

Before the conversation could go on any further, Frieza bolted out of the pile of rocks that he was submerged in. "Damn you! How the hell could a weakling like you even pull off such a maneuver?"

"Hah." Piccolo sneered at his infuriated opponent. "Why not step back in and find out?"

Completely unscathed, Frieza screamed and darted towards Piccolo. Once within a few feet, he promptly vanished, reappeared behind the Namekian, and swung his fist.

In one swift motion, Piccolo whipped around and simultaneously blocked the attack with his forearm. Although he managed to protect his face, the impact pushed him back a few meters.

Frieza then sprung up and swung his tail, but Piccolo swiftly caught the whip-like strike. In response to the hasty defense, the tyrant twisted his body, kicked the Namekian in the temple, and subsequently pummeled him down with a flurry of punches.

The vicious assault left Piccolo pretty banged up; his weighted garments were torn, and his face and arms were smudged with dabs of blood. Despite this, he brought himself back to his feet and wiped his bloody lip clean.

Frieza widened his eyes, as his lips curled into an "o" shape. "I'm impressed Namekian. You've far surpassed your Saiyan comrades." His usual sinister grin snuck up on his face and brushed away his look of astonishment. "What say you drop this idiotic rubbish and align with me? Bring me that Saiyan child, and I shall bring you onboard as my right hand." He opened his arms out in a welcoming manner, as though he were flaunting his sincerity. "I'm sure my father would appreciate a man of your talents. Isn't that right father?"

Cold chuckled, looking rather pleased at the prospect of a new recruit. "We could sweeten the deal by letting him rule two of our finest planets."

"Stop trying to squirm out of this, so we could actually kick it up a notch." Piccolo clutched his torn garments and tossed them on the floor.

"Ah, so you choose to follow your Saiyan friends to their graves." Frieza shook his head, his lips downturned, looking rather disgruntled. "So be it." Flame-like purple waves lit up around his half metallic body, as though he were on fire. "I'll just slaughter you all in cold blood!"

Piccolo gawked at the eerie glow radiating from the tyrant. "Damn, what power."

"Are you beginning to have second thoughts Namekian?"

Piccolo refrained from answering, and instead shot down to a squatted position, with his arms bent and fists closed slightly above his waist. He shouted intensely, enclosing himself in a blue aura that intensified by the second. A fierce gale blew, as the ground shook and rocks kicked up into the air. He finally ended his showcase of power with a dazzling burst of light. "Now, onto round two." He pivoted his right foot behind his left, and positioned his half-closed left fist in front of his face with his right arm cocked back close to his ear.

The two fighters leered at each other. Frieza maintained a rigid posture, while Piccolo shifted around and made subtle adjustments to his stance. Within seconds, both fighters lunged at one another and began savagely exchanging a myriad of punches and kicks. Frieza decked Piccolo in the cheek, only to get socked in the nose immediately after. He gnashed his teeth and retaliated with a kick aimed at Piccolo's head but his efforts were in vain, as the Namekian blocked and countered with a punch of his own.

The tyrant leapt up and turned his left shoulder towards the attack. He then retreated into the air, with Piccolo tagging closely behind.

The two began exchanging more blows until Frieza back handed Piccolo out of the air.

The tyrant followed up by firing an immense purple orb from the palm of his hand.

The Namekian got up just in time to catch the elephant-sized sphere with both hands. The pressure behind the deadly force was enough to drive him into the ground. His feet sunk several inches into the dirt, as his legs wobbled. Try as he might, he was unable to push the attack back. With veins bulging out of his head, he screamed at the top of his lungs and launched a blast of his own as leverage to repel the ball of vile energy.

The tyrant marveled at the sight of his own lethal creation coming towards him. "Hah." He punched the sphere back down towards the ground.

Piccolo gasped before taking the attack head-on and getting caught in the explosion.

"And there he goes, the last of his kind." Frieza descended to the ground, snorting in a disdainful manner. "What a waste of talent." He shot his father a sideways glance, as the corners of his lip contorted into a smirk. "I imagine that must have been quite intriguing, eh father?"

"Stay alert." Cold grunted his usual grunt of disappointment. "If he withstood the brutalities of your punches, it's unlikely he keeled over from that poorly executed blast." He shook his head and scowled at his son. "Judging by his movements, you far exceed him in power. But you're so fixated on giving him a good thrashing that you're lashing out with insufficient force. On top of that, you're neglecting to evade his attacks. This fight should have been over the moment it started."

"Well I was only exerting a tenth of my true power." Frieza shrugged his arms out like he usually does when he's feeling cocky. But before he could say another word, he was kneed in the head and thrown into a pile of rubble.

Piccolo charged up a blast in his hand, and whipped around to face Cold. "Now to get you out of the way!" To the Namekian's dismay, the behemoth-like tyrant had already vanished. "Ugh! Damn!"

"You surprise me," Frieza said in a taunting voice from an unknown location. "I thought ten percent would have been sufficient to exterminate you."

Piccolo's eyes scanned the battlefield. "What? Show yourself!" He suddenly flinched and quivered, for he caught of a glimpse of the metallic tyrant through his peripheral vision.

"Now Namekian, observe as I triple the power I was wielding moments before." Frieza crouched down a few inches, and clenched his fists by his waist. A purple aura surrounded him, and the ground shook uncontrollably, creating craters and crevices. Trees and boulders got caught up in the might of the gust that blew around him.

Piccolo shielded his face, but the tempest emanating from the tyrant caused him to slide back on his feet. "D-damn, he wasn't bluffing about that ten percent crap!"

After wrapping up his display of power, Frieza took his signature stance. "Now you die." He vanished and made his entrance by decking Piccolo in the face with a bone-shattering punch.

The sheer force behind the attack sent the Namekian skidding back on his shoulder. After lying flat on his back for a good minute or two, he finally managed to get himself back up. His face was smeared in blood while gashes and abrasions were all over his body.

With the blink of an eye, Frieza disappeared once more, and greeted his resilient foe from behind with a spine-severing kick. He snickered as he watched the Namekian stumble forward.

"Makankosappo!" Piccolo turned around, and fired his signature attack in the midst of falling.

"Two can play at that." Frieza swatted the attack away and return fired with a Death Beam that impaled the noble warrior just as he hit the ground.

* * *

Back at Capsule Corp, Gohan was resting in bed, still unconscious. Chi Chi had stepped out for a moment, leaving Krillin in charge of watching her son.

Gohan suddenly sprung awake. "Piccolo!" He paused momentarily, as though his mind was registering what had happened while he was out of commission. "I have to go!" He dashed out of the room.

"No Gohan!" Krillin chased the young hero down the stairs and down the long corridor of Capsule Corp until they exited the building. "Piccolo already instructed that we all stay here. You'll only get yourself killed!" He flailed his arms and stomped his foot. "Besides, if your mom finds out you left, she'll flip out!"

"I don't care! I sense his energy falling, he's dying!" Gohan gnashed his teeth, and clenched his fists so tightly that his entire body began trembling. "I've already lost dad to that monster, and I'm not letting him take Piccolo!" His hair spiked up, as his pupils began turning green. "You'll pay Frieza!" His hair turned blond for a second but flickered back to jet black, but his eyes remained green. With a fearsome shout came a dazzling golden light that consumed his entire body. Seconds later, he stepped forward as a Super Saiyan. Without wasting a second, he shot up into the air flew towards North City.

"Gohan!" Krillin stretched his arm out. His scowl conveyed a blend of fear and uncertainty. "Ugh! Damn it!" He sprang into action.


	6. A Noble Sacrifice

Gohan raced towards the hills of North City as a newly transformed Super Saiyan. "Hang on Piccolo! I'm coming!"

* * *

Back on the battlefield, Piccolo was lying on his back, coughing up spurts of blood from his mouth.

Frieza chuckled, as he walked towards the nearly dead Namekian. With a malevolent grin, he inched down and picked the large warrior up by what was left of his gi. "In a moment you'll wish you had taken my offer."

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Gohan, as he blind-sighted Frieza with a swift kick to the head. The force of the sneak attack sent the tyrant crashing down into the city.

"I'm here Piccolo," said Gohan, as he crouched down and put his hands on his mentor.

"So, you've decided to dig your own grave boy," snickered Cold.

Gohan took his fighting stance and leaped towards Cold; but before he could get close, he stopped short, as Frieza had appeared right in front of him.

"My, that wasn't half bad for a monkey child… and look at you, already a Super Saiyan. Like father like son they say," Frieza mocked. "Well I'm glad you showed up, because now you die!" Without any hesitation, he bolted towards Gohan and kneed him in the stomach.

Gohan screamed, as he fell to his knees, and desperately gasped for air.

Frieza formed a grin, as he used his foot to roll the boy over on his back. "How's that for a start?" he snickered. "Let's see if killing you will bring me as much satisfaction as when I tortured your father. Hahaha, oh the pain he must have felt when I shoved my hand through his chest… you should have seen the tormented face of agony that he wore right before I slaughtered him."

Suddenly, Gohan opened his eyes and jolted straight up into the air. "How dare you! I'll make you pay!" With his eyes lit with anger, he punched the tyrant in the face, but to no avail. Frieza hadn't budged one bit, nor were any injuries inflicted.

Without batting an eye, the tyrant chopped the young Super Saiyan down to the floor and ruthlessly stomped him several times. "You apes develop your barbaric tendencies at such a young age."

Gohan lifelessly remained flat on the ground, as his hair reverted back to black and his golden glow faded away.

"Say hi to your father for me!" Frieza taunted, as he held his hand out and ignited a purple ball of ki at the center of his palm.

"Hey Frieza!" a voice called out.

"What?!" shouted Frieza, immediately looking up.

"Solar Flare!" the voice shouted out, as a bright white light consumed the edge of cliff the tyrant was standing on.

"Damn my eyes!" squealed Frieza, as he grabbed his face in pain.

Krillin promptly flew down and tucked Gohan under his arm. "I got ya buddy." He then swiftly scooped Piccolo over his shoulders.

"Thanks Krillin, you're the best!" Gohan weakly muttered, as his eyes closed and head dropped.

"You can thank me later. For now, we have to jam!" Krillin sparked up his grayish-white aura and hurriedly flew off from the band of villains.

"Damn you!" Frieza screamed, as both he and Cold struggled to restore their sight.

Clutching his eyes with his hands, Cold frantically turned his head left and right. "Sorbet, where the hell are you?! Order all survivors to pursue those pests at once!

"Yes your highness." Sorbet was lucky enough to avoid Krillin's dazzling attack, as he had already taken cover far from the battlefield when Piccolo and Frieza were locked in combat. He quickly reached for his scouter and began talking into it. "Tagoma, can you read me?"

"Loud and clear commander."

"Excellent, bring what remains of our troops and track them down immediately!" Sorbet disconnected his scouter, and began walking towards his superiors.

Tagoma, along with Sorbet's other lieutenant Shisami were among the handful who avoided the shower of blasts, as they happened to have been on the outskirts of town when Piccolo had made his stunning entrance.

* * *

"Great, they're onto us." muttered Krillin, briefly looking over his shoulder. "Gotta step on it!" He amplified his aura and upped the speed at which he was flying. After progressing several hundred meters, he squinted his eyes, and peered intently, as though he were trying to make out what was ahead. "Yamcha?! Tien?!"

"Leave it to us Krillin," replied Tien. "Running away in the face of an enemy just isn't in my blood. And besides, they would have found us anyway."

"What are you nuts? This is Frieza we're talking about!" Krillin argued.

"Ha, we're well aware of that… but man, something about breaking up with Bulma just reignited that fighter's spirit," Yamcha asserted, holding his fist out in front of his chest.

"Now hurry and leave! Piccolo and Gohan don't look like they could hold out much longer," said Tien.

Krillin glowered down at the terrains for a second, but quickly looked back up at his friends. "Alright, but you better catch up when you can!"

Yamcha and Tien nodded their heads in acknowledgement. Krillin retained his scowl and flew off with Gohan and Piccolo in his arms.

About a few minutes later, Tagoma, Shisami, and two dozen troops approached Tien and Yamcha. Half of the troops resembled blue anthropomorphic fishes with thick lips, and fins on the sides and top of their heads. The others wore a reddish-pink complexion, appeared rather overweight, and had spikes on their heads and forearms.

"You die first!" yelled Shisami, charging in towards Yamcha with his fist cocked back.

Yamcha smirked and grabbed Shisami's fist with both hands. He then yanked the bull-looking alien by his arm, and followed up with a straight kick to the chin that sent him flying back several meters. As the other soldiers immediately rushed towards Yamcha, Tien vanished, reappeared behind Tagoma, and punched him down to the ground. The three-eyed warrior then jumped in and began assisting his comrade, who was strenuously punching and kicking away several soldiers at a time.

When Tagoma and Shisami threw themselves back into combat, Tien took his stance in front of them. With a tense look, he palmed Shisami in the face and swiftly turned around and slammed his fist into Tagoma's abdomen. After sending the two lieutenants flying back with a kiai, he took a quick glance sideways, and began quivering.

Frieza, Cold, and Sorbet had finally caught up to all the action after regaining their sight.

"You are to refrain from killing them; understood?!" Frieza angrily commanded, shaking his fist at his men. "We're going to extrapolate the location of that brat by force!" He glared down at Sorbet. "I imagine disabling a pair of humans isn't a daunting task for a band of elites."

"No sir, Tagoma and Shisami each possess power levels that exceed any figures documented for the late Jeice and Burter… so restraining a pair of humans should be well within their realm of abilities."

After fighting on for another five minutes or so, Yamcha and Tien began showing major signs of fatigue. Tagoma landed a punch on Tien's face, as a fish-looking grunt kicked him from behind. Shisami kneed Yamcha in the chin and sent him flying into the fist of one of the spiked aliens. Several men subsequently surrounded the heroes in a mosh pit and aggressively pummeled them. Shisami eventually blitzed into the brutality and clotheslined the duo with each arm. He then used his hands to grab them by their heads, and flew towards his superiors.

"Now, let's make this easy for all of us. Tell us where that Super Saiyan brat is," demanded Frieza, as though he were politely trying to coax them to comply.

Tien and Yamcha didn't answer.

Frieza frowned in response to the humans' silence. "You won't talk eh? Fine, you'll be the first Earthlings to know what it's like to be our prisoner!" He gritted his teeth and sharply looked up at Shisami. "Make sure they're fully out, and head back to the ship!"

"And the rest of you, use your scouters and begin combing through the cities; they couldn't have gotten far!"

* * *

Back at Capsule Corp, Bulma diligently worked on finalizing the ship's repairs in a large warehouse-like enclosure with high ceilings and several other parked aircrafts.

After consuming a Senzu Bean, Gohan and Piccolo were back on their feet.

"I owe you one," said Piccolo, putting his hand on Gohan's shoulder.

"Aw, it was nothing. In any case, you should be thanking Krillin."

"Hey, don't look at me, if it weren't for Yamcha and Tien, we'd all be history," replied Krillin as he let out a sigh. "I felt their energy disappear by the way… they really came through for us." He looked down at the floor with grief-stricken eyes.

"Well, it's up to us to wish them back!" declared Gohan.

The three of them plus Vegeta quietly waited around in the ware-house like room, until Piccolo finally spoke up. "It's crucial that we head to Namek and train. Even after Goku completes his training, we may all need to work together."

Vegeta abruptly turned his head towards Piccolo with a scowl on his face. "Speak for yourself Namekian. I don't need to hear such nonsense from worthless scum like you."

"As much as I'd love to dish out your long-deserved beating, I'll save that as a treat to indulge in after we slaughter Frieza," Piccolo scoffed.

"Laugh it up while you can you vile filth. It won't be long until I surpass both you and Kakarot!"

"Knock it off you two," snapped Bulma, as she stepped out of the ship and joined the group. "Anyway Vegeta, I remember you telling me about their ability to pick up on spaceships. So I added a device that'll mask the ship's energy signature; with any luck, they won't even know we're leaving the planet."

Gohan suddenly looked up at his mentor. "Hey Piccolo? Are you sure it's okay to just leave the Earth like this? A lot of innocent people are going to end up suffering at the hands of Frieza."

"I know where you're coming from, but we have no choice. Regardless of if we stay behind or not, there's nothing we can do for them here. Your dad's revival will help greatly, but our victory still wouldn't be guaranteed against a monster like Frieza."

Gohan dropped his head and tightly shut his eyes, as he sighed.

"Piccolo's right son," a voice suddenly exclaimed.

Gohan widened his eyes, and began quivering in place. "D-dad..?"

"It's me son."

Gohan's eyes immediately filled up with tears. "Daddy, I've missed you so much… I…"

"It's okay son… you've done real well, and I'm proud of you. King Kai's told me everything that's been happening down there," Goku gently assured. "But I need you to go find a place to continue your training with Piccolo. King Kai and I just touched down on a sacred planet that martial arts masters from all over the universe call home; but even after training here, I may still fall short of defeating Frieza. If I fail, I'm going to need someone to fight in my place."

"O-okay dad," said Gohan. At that point, Krillin came over and put his hand on Gohan's shoulder, and smiled.

"By the way Goku," Piccolo chimed in, "you wouldn't happen to know just how long you're going to need to stay there would you?"

"I don't. But King Kai says at the rate Frieza's progressed, I should at least expect three full years."

The team silently stood around with grim faces.

"Gohan, you take good care of your mother while I'm gone,"

Suddenly, Chi Chi ran into the warehouse-like room and began weeping. "Oh Goku! Goku!"

"Please don't cry Chi Chi. We'll see each other again, I promise. I need you to stay strong for me okay?"

Chi Chi's response came in the form of mournful sobbing.

"Don't you worry about a thing Goku, you just do your thing up there, and we'll have you brought back in no time!" exclaimed Krillin.

"Alright then! I'll catch up with you all when my training here is complete!"

Shortly after, Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillin, Chi Chi, Master Roshi, The Ox King, Bulma, Oolong, Puar, and Chaozu took off for Namek. Fortunately, Bulma's device came through, and the ship was able to dodge the Planet Trade Organization's scanners.

* * *

Meanwhile in other world, Goku and King Kai stepped off a field of grass and onto a walkway made of bricks. Goku put his hands behind his head and took a deep breath, as he surveyed his surroundings. The sky was light blue, and the weather was akin to that of a nice sunny day; clouds were few and far between.

The two finally stopped in front of a white palace-like building.

"That's where you'll encounter top caliber fighters from all sectors of the universe," said King Kai.

Goku's face lit up with excitement. "Oh wow! I can't wait!"

As the two inched their way towards the entrance, a young man emerged from the shadows created by the pillars on the building. "Y-you're Goku right?"

King Kai jumped back, as though he had seen a ghost. "Y-you.. You're the guy who faced off against Frieza!"

"Yes," replied the young man, as he tilted his head downward.

"But how on Earth did you get here?" inquired King Kai in a shaky voice.

"Given the crisis we're in, King Yemma allowed me to keep my body and venture out here to train with Goku."

Both Goku and King Kai stood around speechlessly, eyes widened, and mouths slightly open.

"He didn't have any information on me, so it took him time to get everything together. But all in all, he saw that my intentions were in line with what he was looking for."

"Yemma didn't have record on you?" King Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. "But how could that be? He's supposed to have information on every soul that passes through him."

"That's because I'm from twenty years in the future."

"The future?!" both King Kai and Goku remarked simultaneously.

The young man didn't answer.

"Look, I watched your battle with Frieza," said King Kai with a baffled look. "Am I right to say that you were a Super Saiyan when fought him?"

"Yes you are."

"A Super Saiyan..? But how..?" Goku stammered. "Vegeta, Gohan and I are the only Saiyans left… just exactly who are you?"

"My name is Trunks, and this may come off as a surprise, but I'm the son of Vegeta and Bulma,"

Both King Kai and Goku silently gawked at the young man, with their jaws hanging low.

"Look, this isn't the time for that. I travelled back in time to warn you that in three years, a vile duo will emerge and wreak havoc on the Earth. In my time, the planet's greatest heroes all fell victim to their rampage… All that remained were my teacher Gohan and me," Trunks explained. "That is until one day… he too met his fate." He looked away, and faced the ground with a face that wore many burdens.

Goku frowned. "Do they work for Frieza?"

"No, they're androids created by Dr. Gero; former lead scientist for the Red Ribbon Army."

"But I thought for sure they were finished," remarked Goku.

"You dismantled their forces, but Gero had the privilege of hiding out, waiting for the moment to strike."

"It looks like I was right when I said we may need all the help we can get," said Goku.

"Well let's hope for everyone's sake that those mechanical freaks clash with Frieza, because if they were to ever form an alliance, the universe as we know it will crumble before their reign of terror," said Trunks, letting out a sigh. "In the meantime, I say we hammer out what we can here, and stand our ground."

Both King Kai and Goku agreed by nodding. The trio then walked into the palace-like building.


	7. Three Years of Mayhem

Back on Cold's ship, the tyrannical duo was anxiously waiting for their men to report back with Gohan's whereabouts. Kneeled before them were Yamcha and Tien, both of whom had finally regained their consciousness.

"We have yet to locate the Saiyan child." A voice suddenly called out from the ship's comlinks. "Neither our scouters nor spy bots have detected anything."

Frieza sauntered around his prisoners, his hands clasped behind his back. "The offer still remains on the table. Divulge the location of that prepubescent ape and I shall spare you."

Tien glowered at his captor with one eye shut, wincing in pain from the beating he had taken from the tyrants' henchmen. "Y-you won't get a word out of me you scumbag."

The tyrant's pupils lit up with a red glow; he widened his eyes and out came a flash of energy that incinerated the three-eyed warrior. "I'm in no mood for games human. And besides, only one prisoner is necessitated to obtain answers."

Yamcha's breathing became labored. His mouth gaped open while his trembling eyes focused on the spot his friend was kneeled just moments before. "T-tien..."

"Don't let that pitiful excuse of a comrade be a role model. Frieza crossed his arms and cocked his head back. "Come clean and I might still consider sparing you."

Yamcha gnashed his teeth, his sweat-drenched body shook harder than a devastating earthquake.

"This is your last chance Earthling." The tyrant shook his fist inches from his captive's face. "Either surrender that monkey filth, or you shall meet your demise here and now!"

The former desert bandit continued quivering uncontrollably. His lips twitched as though they had a mind of their own and were trying to speak up on behalf of his conscience.

Frieza pointed his finger and fired a tiny red spark that situated itself on Yamcha's chest. Without any hesitation, the tyrant raised his hand and telekinetically lifted the courageous human up to the ceiling of the ship where he kept him dangling. "So this is how it'll end for you eh?"

Yamcha kicked his legs desperately, but to no avail.

"Fine so be it." Frieza closed his hand and blew the former desert bandit to smithereens.

After the smoke that emanated from the explosion settled, the tyrant craned his neck out to Sorbet. "Gather the troops, I think it's time we showed this miserable world the true meaning of a hostile takeover!"

Indeed, it was a dark period of chaos for Planet Earth; the Planet Trade Organization began massacring city after city, ruthlessly decimating helpless civilians.

In just one day, they found their way to King Furry's palace and confronted the king himself. Thrilled at the prospect of speaking to the planet's ruler, both Frieza and Cold decided to make an appearance. They made their way up to the throne room where their minions had the terrified king and his servants surrounded.

Frieza ambled towards the helpless captives and eyed the king. "So you're Earth's ruler?"

King Furry twitched incessantly, his eyes shifting left and right. "P-please, we don't any conflict."

"Ha, hard to believe the Earthlings pledged their loyalties to a flea-infested scum." Frieza shrugged his arms out. "Though I guess it's not surprising for a species that caters to a Saiyan monkey."

"Why are you doing this? What has this planet ever done to you?"

"I don't owe you an explanation you canine filth. Now, either announce to your subjects that this planet belongs to me, or prepare to perish."

King Furry shut his eyes; his fluffy whiskers quivered like a baby bird fluttering in the wind. "No, I will never surrender our world to the likes of a vile monster like you."

Frieza pointed his finger at the king, and narrowed his eyes. "A shame really. Though even if you had complied with my request, I wouldn't have let a mangy mutt have any involvement in the chain of command." Without missing a beat, he fired a Death Beam through the old emperor, killing him instantly.

After taking a moment or two to revel in the delight of his own sadism, the tyrant forced the late king's servants to set up a live broadcast.

Within minutes, a group of servants scurried back into the throne room with a handful of equipment.

One of the servants nervously angled a large camera at Frieza. "Y-you're live sir."

Frieza glanced over at Sorbet. "Would you please do the honor of letting these pests know who their new ruler is?"

"Yes your lordship." Sorbet stepped in front of the camera, brought a hand to his mouth, and cleared his throat. "Attention Earthlings, effective immediately, this planet belongs to Lord Frieza. Our men will be visiting each town recruiting any able-bodied man and woman for our galactic army. Any form of resistance will result in immediate death!"

Frieza's purple lips quirked up, as his menacing eyes glided over to Cold. "I'd like to express my gratitude for allowing this planet to fall under my name father."

"Of course my son." Cold chuckled, his usual sophisticated chuckle. "It's only fitting that you keep the home world of that Saiyan trash. You can thank me by putting these foolish humans to good use."

* * *

Meanwhile on Planet Namek, the Z-Fighters shared the catastrophe at hand with Elder Moori and Dende. After expressing their condolences, the Namekians were more than happy to provide the heroes with a place to stay. As time progressed, everyone grew quite accustomed to their temporary home.

Piccolo and Gohan commenced with their training in the mountainous terrains, while Vegeta subjected himself to elevated levels of gravity in the spaceship. Krillin and Master Roshi participated in some martial arts based exercises around the capsule house that served as the team's home.

Despite letting Gohan continue his training, Chi Chi was still very adamant about getting him back home at certain times to complete his studies. The Ox-King spent a good portion of his days helping the villagers carry out their day to day duties on the field as a gesture of appreciation.

Bulma was burdened with the chore of making sure Vegeta kept their ship intact during one of his crazy training sessions. Ironically enough, their bickering actually brought the two closer as they were often seen together by the lakeside. Of course, this usually entailed Bulma doing all the talking, with Vegeta having his back turned against her.

* * *

Back on Earth, things continued taking a turn for the worse. What remained of the planet's military was aligned with the Planet Trade Organization, while civilians were captured, and selectively converted into soldiers. A gloomy shadow of darkness cast over the planet, as most of its inhabitants became an extension of the evil empire; those who resisted were mercilessly slaughtered as Sorbet had proclaimed.

One evening, Frieza and Cold were lounging around in King Furry's banquet hall, enjoying a glass of wine. After weeks of searching, they began entertaining the notion that Gohan had fled the planet.

Cold angled his half-filled glass towards his lips and took a huge gulp. "If he hasn't turned up by now, it's likely he's taken refuge elsewhere." He pursed his wine-stained lips together. "Reassembling our forces and sending them out on a galactic search may be in order."

"Ha, cowering away will only manage to delay the inevitable." Frieza stared down at his glass, as though he were conceitedly admiring his own reflection. "Either he'll come dashing in with the heroics or our spy bots will stumble upon him." He swirled the palatable red drink around a few rotations before taking a sip. "But considering who his father is, he's destined to return."

And so a year went by…

The tyrannical duo had King Furry's palace modified to accommodate their preferences; statues of the junior tyrant were built all over the planet. Buildings were in ruins, with the exclusion of military base-like fortresses that were established in nearly every city. The humans had been training with Tagoma, who was a master at teaching the fundamentals of ki manipulation to weaker species.

Resistance movements would surface on occasion, but were promptly decimated by their fellow brethren who had long pledged their loyalties to the evil tyrant.

With thousands of human soldiers readily accessible, the Planet Trade Organization frequently ventured out to conquer new worlds. Thanks to advanced weaponry, and a basic understanding of ki at their disposal, the Earthlings played a vital role in assisting their alien superiors in combat.

Although Frieza and Cold left Earth periodically to pay visits to their newly acquired worlds, they always found their way back. With an increasing number of planets falling victim to their reign, their army began expanding.

* * *

The past year had been rather successful for Piccolo and Gohan, for they had far surpassed previously established benchmarks.

Vegeta was quite livid at his inability to keep up, and as a result would often push himself to the point of no return. His daily training regimen entailed shadow sparring, strength training, and ki manipulation; all three were typically employed under four hundred times normal gravity. One fine day, his overexertion caused him to collapse face first onto the tile flooring of the gravity room.

"D-damn it all…" The Saiyan prince pushed himself up to his hands and knees. His arms were wobbly and his entire body was drenched in sweat. "First that Namekian and now that half-breed brat."

He pounded both fists against the floor until his hands were smeared with blood. "I will not succumb to such humility!"

He shot up to his feet and a gust of air blew around him. "DAMN!" A golden aura encapsulated him, as his hair turned blonde. But in an instant, everything vanished and he collapsed once more.

All the lights in the gravity room suddenly flickered on as the gravity reverted back to normal.

Seconds later, Bulma darted in. "What the hell's your problem Vegeta?!"

"Q-quickly, get me treated." Vegeta winced. "I think I'm getting the hang of-" Before he could get another word out, his eyes rolled back and his face hit the floor.

"Look at you, all worked up again…" Bulma sighed, getting down on one knee to aid the weary prince.

She put his arm her shoulder and practically dragged him back to the Capsule House. After placing him on a bed in one of the spare rooms, she began treating his wounds.

Vegeta opened his eyes halfway, took a quick glance at Bulma, but jerked his head away before they could make eye contact.

"Why are you so worked up over this anyway?" Bulma asked. "It's not like you have to fight alone, Goku-"

"Shut the hell up woman. You've got some nerve to mention that name in front of me."

"Ugh, stop taking it so personally. It's not like I'm saying he's better than you or anything like that."

Vegeta studied the blue-haired girl's face, his expression as blank as a fresh sheet of paper. It was as though he was trying to decipher what she meant.

"You're both Saiyans." Bulma rested her hand on the wounded warrior's chest. "And, well…you are the prince. If anyone could reach the top and avenge your race, it's gotta be you right?"

The enervated prince inflated his lungs full of air and slowly exhaled through his nose. For the first time in weeks, the deep vertical crevice on his brow disappeared and his face began bearing a look of tranquility; the lack of tension around his eyes almost signified the alleviating effect Bulma's words had on his inner turmoil. He buried his cheek in his pillow and dozed off just minutes later.

The next morning instead of heading back into the ship for his usual training regimen, he flew out to a nearby cliffside and perched on the edge.

"The woman's right." He gritted his teeth and made a fist. "It has to be me." He tensed every muscle in his body, causing the veins in his neck to throb and bulge. "You low class scum! I'll show you!"

As he shouted at the top of his lungs, a golden aura exploded around him; his body became engulfed in a dazzling white light that blanketed the entire cliff and several meters beyond. When the radiance of his power finally settled, he silently admired his new appearance.

Indeed, he had finally reclaimed his birthrights, for he too was now a Super Saiyan. The majestic golden hair, those penetrating green eyes, and most importantly the blood-curdling power were all emblems that he could at last call his own.

From that day onward, the proud warrior continued his training with a renewed sense of determination.

As another year flew by, his power continued climbing up to new heights. After warming up in the spaceship one afternoon, he decided to pass on his usual routine and instead head out for the mountainous terrains where Piccolo and Gohan routinely trained. Upon arrival, he descended from the sky and planted himself a few meters from the duo. His posture was rigid and his face held an unblinking expression.

Piccolo shot Vegeta a stony-faced gaze of his own. "Didn't expect you to show up."

Gohan stood a few feet behind his mentor, eying the Saiyan prince.

"I think you know exactly why I'm here," Vegeta said. "So let's cut to the chase,"

"Ha, well I had intended on saving this for later," Piccolo said. "But I guess now's as good as ever."

"Piccolo…?" Gohan inched forward, his shoulders tense and his hands slightly shaky. "You can't…what if-"

"That's enough Gohan." The Namekian didn't even bother glancing at his student. "He may give me just the challenge I've been looking for."

"Hmph, speak for yourself Namekian." Vegeta sneered, cocking his head back. "Just know that there's a damn good chance only one of us will make it out alive." He fixed his confidence-bearing eyes on Gohan. "And as for you brat, feel free to fight by his side if you're that worried about his demise."

"That won't be necessary." Piccolo placed one hand on his weighted cape and the other on his headgear. "Gohan's only spectating." He removed his heavy garments, freeing himself from the additional resistance.

"Suit yourself." Vegeta took a slightly crouching position, slid his left foot forward, put his left hand in front of his face as his right hand fell by his waist. His signature golden aura began circulating around his body as his hair turned blond.

Piccolo took a stance similar to Vegeta's and enclosed himself in his usual bluish-white aura.

The two warriors stared each other down, making slight adjustment to their stances. Without any warning, Vegeta bolted at Piccolo and began unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks; each attack was executed with precision, almost in a synchronized fashion.

Piccolo stayed in defense mode until he finally retaliated by pushing Vegeta back with a kiai. He subsequently decked the Saiyan prince in the face with a bone-shattering punch that threw him into a boulder.

Vegeta launched into the air and began firing a volley of blasts, but Piccolo smacked the blue fireball-looking orbs away with minimal effort.

"Ha, let's see if you could deflect this one." Vegeta stuck his right palm out. "Big Bang Attack!" Out came a colossal ball of blue energy that flew towards Piccolo at an alarming rate like a comet falling from the sky. The Namekian shuddered for a moment, but soundly caught the immense orb; after struggling for a bit, he flung it up into the air.

Vegeta gawked at his opposition, still floating midair. "You surprise me Namekian."

"You're not too bad yourself. You sure as hell were quick to close the gap between us."

"Well, let's not get carried away." Vegeta descended to the ground. "Despite how long it took me to become a Super Saiyan, ascending past it came rather naturally."

"What?"

Vegeta shut his eyes momentarily. The corners of his left lip curved up, causing two deep parenthesis-looking lines to form around his nose. "Watch and learn." He dropped his fists down to his waist and shouted at the top of his lungs. His muscles doubled in size, as the ground shook and a mighty whirlwind blew. The majestic golden aura that engulfed him spread like wildfire, its dazzling presence encompassed at least a mile.

"Amazing." Piccolo swayed back before using both arms to shield himself from the debris.

Without missing a beat, Vegeta vanished and made his entrance by uppercutting Piccolo in the jaw. The Namekian stumbled several steps back and was then pummeled by a relentless combo of punches. A straight punch to the cheek finally sent him flying back into a pile of rubble.

Gohan gasped, whipping around to face the wreckage his mentor had been buried in. "Piccolo!"

"Relax boy, he's not dead." Vegeta snickered. "That was a mere warm up."

Piccolo bolted out of the rocks and cracked his neck by jerking his head left and right. His bloodstained lips formed a half-smile. "Damn, looks like this'll be one to remember after all."

The Namekian shot down to a squatted position and his bluish-white aura made an appearance once more. Much akin to Vegeta's display of power, the ground trembled, and a fierce gust of wind stormed through the battlefield.

The magnificent showcase of power was enough to make Vegeta flinch. His cocky grin disappeared like a light turning off at the flick of a switch.

Piccolo assumed his fighting stance. "You ready to witness my true power firsthand?" He darted towards the Saiyan prince and started things off by swinging his fist.

Vegeta crossed his arms and defended himself from the assault. He gnashed his teeth, as the mighty attack caused him to slide back a few meters.

Before Piccolo had the chance to attack a second time, Vegeta countered with a punch of his own. But the Namekian swiftly blocked it with one arm. The Saiyan prince pulled his fist back and threw another punch that connected directly with his opponent's face.

After wincing in pain for a second or two, Piccolo retaliated by jamming his fist into Vegeta's cheek. The two began slugging away, decking each other in the face back and forth, until the Saiyan prince put both hands out and shot Piccolo back with a blue ki blast. The attack sufficed in pinning the Namekian against the stony wall of an immense cavern.

Vegeta attempted to roundhouse kick his opponent, but Piccolo caught the attack and hurled him against the ground. The Namkeian tried punching his foe while he was still down, but the Saiyan prince sprung into the air and dropped kicked him in the head.

The two commenced in a tradeoff of blows until exhaustion took its toll; they were both severely battered with bloody faces, bruises all over, and torn garments. After huffing and puffing for a few seconds, both fighters fell forward simultaneously and face-planted on the dirt.

Gohan carried his wounded comrades back to the Capsule House, while Krillin flew off to fetch Dende.

The young Namekian immediately relieved Piccolo of his wounds but was reluctant to reciprocate the kindness on Vegeta's behalf.

Bulma put her hands down to her hips, and shoved her face in front of Dende's. "What do you mean you won't heal him?!"

Piccolo approached the two. "Do it Dende. I need him around for a rematch."

Dende complied with the request and healed Vegeta. Without as so much as a word, the Saiyan Prince stormed out of the Capsule House and headed back into the spaceship for another round of training.

* * *

As another year elapsed, Cold and Frieza's forces grew to a monumental size. In addition to their human recruits, there were several elite mercenaries that were recruited from the sixty something planets they had colonized during the past three years.

Unbeknownst to them, however, hidden deep in the woods, there existed a cave that served as a secret lab for the sinister mastermind Dr. Gero.

One frigid afternoon, the old doctor paced back and forth in his lab weighing out his options. "We may have to activate them earlier than expected."

Standing adjacent to him was his loyal creation Android 19; an artificial human with extra baggage.

Gero clasped his hands together, his breathing shallow. "If we don't act soon, we'll be ambushed without a doubt."

Android 19 remained silent.

The doctor furrowed his brow and peered at two casket-looking metallic pods that were leaned up against the wall. "With their recent modifications, they might have what it takes to deal with that wretched tyrant."

He picked up a small remote controller off a nearby table and plodded towards the dual pods; one had the number 17 stamped across it while the other was labeled 18. He inched his shaky finger towards a button on pod number 17, but stopped short. After hesitating for a second or two, he grunted under his breath, and smashed the button.

The lid popped open, revealing a young man with long black hair and a scarf around his neck. The being stepped out of his pod and surveyed his surroundings. "Hello doctor."

"Ah, Android 17." Gero proceeded to open pod number 18.

Inside was a beautiful young woman with short blond hair; she stepped out and glanced at Gero. "Hello doctor."

"Good to see you Android 18," Gero said.

Android 18 brushed her hair aside and eyed 19. "I see you've created another android. Is he an energy absorbing model?"

"Y-yes." Gero paused momentarily before clearing his throat. "Now, although we've had our differences in the past, it's time we put that all behind us and dealt with the crisis at hand."

"A crisis?" Android 17 raised an eyebrow and shot 18 a quick glance.

"For the past three years, the entire planet has been seized by a galactic overlord known as Frieza. I've kept us hidden thus far, but their army is growing. It won't be long until we're discovered."

The Androids silently stared at the controller in Gero's hand like lions eying their prey. 17 eventually spoke up. "Let me guess, you want us to stop him before he finds his way to this lab."

"Y-yes."

"And if we don't comply with your wishes, do you intend on shutting us down again with that?" 17 pointed to the remote.

Gero jerked the remote out of 17's reach. "You fools!" He trudged back a step, his eyes bouncing between 17 and 18. "We're dealing with a sadistic mutant who could destroy the damn planet at any time!"

"That's not our business old man." 17 turned his shoulder to the doctor. "We'll handle him on our own time."

"Then perhaps this will pique your interest," Gero said. "Goku's friends are out in space hatching up a plan to revive him. My tracker bots have brought me a great deal of information on those foolish do-gooders."

"Revive? So you're telling me Goku's been killed?"

"Yes… he was slaughtered by Frieza three years back."

"Whoever he is, he must be one hell of a fighter."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

"Look, when Goku arrives, we'll take care of the entire ordeal." 17 gave a quick nod to 18, who by this point had shuffled her way behind the doctor.

Without missing a beat, 18 snatched the remote out of Gero's hand.

"No!" Gero stretched his arm out towards the female android.

"We don't need to take orders from you." 18 dangled the remote in front of the doctor.

Gero whipped his head around to where 19 was standing. "Stop her at once! We can't afford t-"

Before the doctor could give another order, 17 impaled him from behind with the palm of his hand.

19 sprinted towards 18, but the female android kicked her stout counterpart onto a table full of flasks and other lab equipment without batting an eye.

17 followed up by kicking Gero's head right off his shoulders. A grin crept up on the defiant android's face, as he gestured his head towards the lab's exit. "What say we jet?"

18 nodded and the two flew off.

Once the duo was out of sight, 19 dug his way out of the lab equipment he had been buried in and trudged towards what was left of his creator. "I will begin the repairs right away doctor."

* * *

The Planet Trade Organization was stumped with a mystery of their own, for there have been sudden spikes of power setting their scouters off. For the past few weeks, Sorbet had spent hours a day in his ship's control room trying to determine the source of this mysterious power.

"Commander Sorbet!" a voice bellowed from the pint-sized commander's scouter. "I rushed over here as soon as we got that last reading, but not a trace was left behind. To make matters worse, our men have apparently vanished…"

"Vanished you say?" Sorbet raised an eyebrow and scratched his chin.

"Yes sir, by the looks of it something or someone must have sucked them right out of their garments!"

"Send me a visual right away!" Sorbet sauntered over to a large screen, and began mashing on several buttons. He widened his eyes, once the monitor flickered on; it revealed hundreds of empty armored uniforms lying around the streets of West City. "W-what the hell? Where are our elites?"

"Well… judging by their absence, I'm assuming they too fell victim to this odd phenomenon."


End file.
